Slovenian-EEA conference “Different models of past and future European integration – view from the inside and outside of the EU”

Grand Hotel Union, Ljubljana, 16 October 2014

Organisational framework: Bilateral work programme under the Fund for bilateral relations at national level in Slovenia under the EEA and Norway grants.

Main goal: The objective of the conference is to exchange Slovenian and EEA EFTA countries experiences with different models of European integration. Slovenian experiences as a (small) EU Member State, EEA model of cooperation with the EU, view from former candidate countries. The event will also focus on the discussion on the future of the EU with an analysis of proposed solutions and consequences for the inside and outside of the EU and the EEA Agreement.

PROGRAMME:

9.00–9.30                  Registration of participants

9.30–9.40                  Opening addresses

• Norwegian Ambassador Tove Skarstein and Slovenian Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec

9.40–10.40                Presentations:

• State Secretary for EU and EEA Affairs Ingvild Næss Stub, MSc, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: “Norway’s political priorities regarding EU integration”
• Fredrik Sejersted, dr. iur., Norwegian Institute for International Affairs; “The Norwegian ‘model’ for European integration”
• Kirsti Methi, European Movement of Norway: “Norway and EU-membership; dealing with a negative public opinion”

10.40–11.10             Coffee break

11.10–12.30             Presentations:

• Jóhannes Thor Skúlason, Political Adviser to the Prime Minister of Iceland: “There and back again: Iceland’s journey to recovery”
• Andrea Entner-Koch, PhD, Director of the EEA Coordination Unit, Liechtenstein: “Daily EEA life in Liechtenstein”
  • Igor Senčar, MSc, former Ambassador to the EU and State Secretary at the Slovenian Foreign Ministry: “Experience from the holding of Presidency of the EU Council”
  • Mitja Mavko, MSc, former State Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, EBRD: “Overcoming the crisis”
  • Mary Veronica Tovšak Pleterski, Director, European Commission: “Slovenian views from inside of EU institutions”

12.30–13.00             Question and discussion time

13.00–14.00             Lunch

14.00–15.30             ROUND TABLE ON THE FUTURE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA

Moderator: Fredrik Sejersted, professor dr juris (European and Constitutional law)

Panelists:

Jan Erik Grindheim, PhD, President of the European Movement Norway

Gunnar Haraldsson, PhD, Director at the Institute of Economic Studies, University of Iceland

Christian Frommelt, researcher at the Liechtenstein Institute

Dr Sabina Lange, Lecturer at EIPA, Maastricht, and Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana

Rudi Rizman, PhPhD (Ljubljana and Harvard University), Professor of Sociology and Political Science at Ljubljana and Bologna University

Ana Bojinović Fenko, PhD, Assistant Professor at University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences, Coordinator of European Studies Undergraduate and Master programmes

15.30–16.00             Informal conclusion of the event

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